At Saint Brewis, it’s no secret that we’re fans of barrel aged beers. It’s also no secret that we’re a fan of the barrel aged hair and skin oils that come from Barrel Brands. We’ve given some bottles of their oils away on our site and they were the first folks we ever asked to be a partner of Saint Brewis because we can’t help but appreciate this veteran-owned, local small business. That’s why we’re beyond excited for their latest endeavor they’re calling their “Brewers Collaboration Series.”
Partnering with breweries to capture the aromas of some of their most sought after barrel aged brews, the Brewers Collaboration Series’ first available oils will be from 4 Hands Brewing Company. These unique oils, or expressions as Barrel Brands calls them, happen to come from one of Barrel Brands owner Jeremy Stanton’s favorite barrel aged beers: Madagascar. In a year when 4 Hands releases 3 variants in addition to the original Madagascar, it makes sense that one of those variants, Madagascar Uganda, becomes an expression, too.
Aged in the exact same barrels as the beers they were named after, the Madagascar and Madagascar Uganda expressions will be available for purchase at the release of this year’s Madagascar at noon on Sunday, January 28th at 4 Hands Brewing. You can read all about the beer release details here. If you’re unable to make the release but still want to purchase either expression, they’ll be for sale at the brewery store until sold out and they’ll also be available online. Here’s what you can expect from each expression:
EXPRESSION: MADAGASCAR BREWERS COLLABORATION
Date Drawn: 1/18 | 1 oz Dropper Bottles
Barrel Brands Madagascar is a barrel aged hair and skin oil inspired by the 4 Hands Brewing Company Imperial Milk Stout with which it shares its name and the first in a series of Brewer’s Collaboration oils. Our proprietary Vitamin E based oil blend was barrel aged in French oak 60-gallon ruby port wine casks that previously finished Bourbon. These are the same barrels that were used in the barrel aging process of the beer itself. The barrels and ingredients impart a range of notes that begin with a base note of sweet scent of vanilla complimented by a complex blend of port wine, oak, Bourbon and chocolate. An invigorating hint of cinnamon helps bring additional life and complexity to this expression. St. Louis Chocolatier Rick Jordan provided his Dominican Republic organic roasted fair trade cacao nibs to further add a depth of chocolate to the oil that finishes off with the earthy tones of pipe tobacco and Texas cedar.
EXPRESSION: UGANDA BREWERS COLLABORATION
Date Drawn: 1/18 | 1 oz Dropper Bottles
Uganda is a unique variant expression in our Brewers Collaboration that feature a base of Barrel Brands Madagascar along with the same micro-lot Ugandan coffee beans from Goshen Coffee Company that were added to the 4 Hands Imperial Milk Stout Variant. These beans which were grown on the northern slopes of Mount Elgon and processed at the Sipi Falls Mill provide an incredible lift to this oil adding notes of strawberry, raspberry, and plum. Additional layers of vanilla and Bourbon arise from the beans themselves, adding a perfect blend to the hand scraped Madagascar beans that are added to the French oak 60-gallon ruby port wine casks that previously finished Bourbon. These are also the same barrels that were used in the barrel aging process of the beer itself. The air-roasted coffee provides a lift and lastingness that is finished subtly sweet thanks with St. Louis Chocolatier Rick Jordan’s Dominican Republic organic roasted fair trade cacao nibs.
For more information about Barrel Brands, visit their online store or their blog.
For more information about 4 Hands Brewing’s 2018 Madagascar Release, click here.
Justin Phelps
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